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Angels send four to minors

March 13, 2011 | 5:45
pm

The Angels reassigned pitchers Garrett Richards, Eric Junge and Ryan Braun and catcher Alberto Rosario to their minor league camp after Sunday's split-squad games with the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds.

Richards started against the Reds, giving up a run and two hits, including a Jay Bruce home run. In three previous appearances, he gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. The 22-year-old right-hander spent last season at Class A.

Junge also pitched against the Reds on Sunday, giving up a hit in two scoreless innings. But in an outing six days earlier, he gave up four runs, three hits and a walk against the Chicago Cubs. A 34-year-old right-hander signed in June as a minor league free agent, Junge was 5-3 in 14 games at triple A Salt Lake. He has pitched 10 games in the big leagues.

Braun last pitched Thursday against Seattle, throwing a scoreless inning and striking out two. But the 30-year-old Canadian takes a spring earned-run average of 23.14 to minor league camp after poor outings against the Cubs and Oakland Athletics. He has made 35 big league appearances.

Rosario, a 24-year-old Dominican, was hitless in three at-bats but drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. He split last season between Class A and double A.

All four players were nonroster invitees to spring training and their reassignments leaves the Angels with 57 players in big league camp. More than a dozen more players are expected to be sent down Monday after the Angels' "B" game with the Colorado Rockies in Tempe.

-- Kevin Baxter in Tempe, Ariz.

Photo: Angels pitcher Garrett Richards working against the Dodgers during a spring training game last month at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Credit: Jake Roth / US Presswire